I’m so excited about this list of the Top 10 Lesbian Age Gap Romances! This is one of my very favourite themes in lesbian romance and my little ears perk up every time I hear about a new one. And let’s be honest, I’m not the only one who loves them, because a few of Sheena’s favourite books are on this list too.

So when you’re ready for a break from awwing at how adorable Holland Taylor and Sarah Paulson are on Twitter (because they are WAY TOO CUTE), check out one of the books below. As with all of our lists, this isn’t exhaustive, but it does have our very favourites. We hope you like them too!

1 Storm Season by Pene Henson

Published by Interlude Press

This book is an: angsty Australian romance

What it’s about

Lien Hong is so not into camping, and yet she’s let her friends talk her into it anyway. A party girl from Sydney who writes about music and fashion, she has no idea how to pack for the trip, even if she’s looking forward to the music festival they’ll be attending halfway through it. When she wanders off on their first night and injures herself just as a storm rolls in, she’s lucky to be rescued by a wilderness ranger who takes Lien into her cabin and lets her wait out the weather.

Claudia Sokolov left Sydney and its music scene for good reason and has enjoyed her three years of solitude. She has no desire to share her cabin with anyone, but the storm has given her and Lien no choice until the washed out road clears up. The more they get to know each other, the more something seems to be there. Can their connection make it as Lien goes back to Sydney?

Why I love it

I loved the romance, the characters and their respective arcs, the way the author writes friendship, and the sex writing is perfect for this book. Everything worked for me.

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2 Royal Rebel by Jenny Frame

Published by Bold Strokes Books

This book is a: sweet and hot romance with a princess falling for a commoner

What it’s about

Royal Rebel is about Princess Rozala of Denbourg and Lennox King. Roza is known far and wide as the “royal rebel,” famous for her partying and womanizing ways. When her latest relationship with a much older woman leads to a major international scandal, Roza is sent to stay with her cousin Queen George and her Consort, Beatrice, in the United Kingdom.

When Bea sends Roza to work at a hospice charity (and actually work, not just smile for photo ops), Roza is less than thrilled, and she’s not the only one. Lennox King has worked hard to overcome the demons that pursued her through her old career in finance and the last thing she wants is to have to babysit a spoiled brat like Princess Rozala. The attraction between the women is undeniable, but can they overcome Lennox’s past and the differences in their stations?

Why Sheena and I love it

It’s an engaging romance with excellent character arcs and super hot sex scenes. What’s not to love?!

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3 In the Distance There is Light by Harper Bliss

Published by Ladylit Publishing

This book is a: dramatic romance with a little more taboo than usual

What it’s about

Sophie’s life is over as she knows it after her partner, Ian, dies. She can’t eat, live in their home, or even sleep. After staying with a friend for a while, she calls the only person who can come close to understanding her grief: Ian’s stepmother, Dolores. They muddle their way through the early months of life without him together, building a quiet life of emotional survival. Somewhere in the grief something else starts to grow, but can they trust those feelings, given where they started?

Why I love it

This book left me wrecked. I read it all in one day, and that’s with going to work too. In the Distance There is Light has everything, with an excellent story, characters, and writing style.

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4 The Housemistress by Keira Michelle Telford

Published by Venatic Press

This book is a: student/teacher boarding school romance

What it’s about

For a lot of seventeen-year-old girls, being sent to a same-sex boarding school would be a nightmare for one simple reason: No boys. But that’s really not a problem for sixth form student Rylie Harcourt. Instead, what might prove somewhat difficult to overcome is the school’s strict policy concerning on-campus relationships.

All sexual contact is expressly forbidden. Carnal pursuits are a distraction from learning, so says the Headmistress, and virtue is to be as highly regarded as education–if not higher. This harsh ban on expressions of love becomes especially problematic when Rylie meets her new French Housemistress, Vivienne Carriveau, and attraction sparks.

In a sexless environment, thirty-one-year-old Mademoiselle Carriveau is a magnet for the affections of her hormonal, adolescent students. Competition for her attention is fierce, and when it starts to become clear that Rylie’s burgeoning interest in her is reciprocated in equal measure, tension among the student body rises to a deadly level.

Why Sheena loves it

Telford writes well, her pacing and story evolution is good and she keeps one entertained.

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5 The Red Files by Lee Winter

Published by Ylva Publishing

This book is a: romantic suspense mystery

What it’s about

Lauren King is too smart for her job on the entertainment beat, covering celebrity parties for LA’s Daily Sentinel, but it’s a stepping stone towards her dream of political reporting in DC. Catherine Ayers, aka the Caustic Queen, is also in the celebrity gossip reporting ring of hell, having been cast down from Washington after getting caught up in a reporting scandal. Everyone stays away from Ayers and her precise, vicious insults except Lauren, who can’t seem to help taunting the dragon.

One night at the elite launch of a revolutionary payroll service, Lauren and Ayers each notice something odd: a whole bunch of prostitutes from definitely not LA have been brought to the party to mingle, but service no one. When Lauren talks to the bus driver about to take them away from the event, she learns he was also asked to pick up a pallet of pink champagne, which was never served at the party, and has been paid by the state of Nevada.

They may not be able to talk without sniping at one another, but Lauren and Ayers know one thing: there’s a story worth chasing together.

Why I love it

The style is crisp, the plotting tight, the dialogue sharp and funny. The romance burns slowly until it finally explodes, with sex that is super hot and perfectly written.

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6 Fruit of the Golden Vine by Sophia French

Published by Bella Books

This book is a: historical fantasy novel

What it’s about

A long time ago in a country that isn’t real, there’s a girl named Adelina. Unlike her older sister, Irena, she has no interest in marrying a man, and she has little in common with her 13 year old sister, Felise. Her sharp tongue and quick wit may endear her to her parents (even when they sometimes want to throttle her), but as a daughter she’s still her father’s property to be given to the man of his choosing, no matter how smart and spirited she may be.

One day, Rafael, a handsome baron from a distant land, comes to court Irena and brings his equally handsome sister, Silvana, with him. From her first glance at the tall woman who dresses like a man and carries a sword, Ada finally understands what she’s been missing.

Why I love it

Fruit of the Golden Vine is so elegantly and simply written that it reads like a fairy tale. With great characters, great writing, and great pacing, Fruit of the Golden Vine has it all.

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7 Damage Control by Jae

Published by Ylva Publishing

This book is a: celebrity romance

What it’s about

Grace Durand is the romcom queen with the perfect marriage to her action movie star husband Nick. Except the world doesn’t know that she and Nick are divorcing, and with a new movie set to release soon with Grace’s first dramatic role, there couldn’t be a worse time for the tabloids to say she’s having a lesbian affair with her best friend, Jill.

Grace’s mother and manager hires publicist Lauren Pearce to convince America that Grace couldn’t be straighter, not knowing that Lauren herself is an out lesbian. But Lauren is professional, conscientious, and incredibly good at the job, and quickly proves she’s the right person to keep Grace’s image exactly what it needs to be. Lauren knows never to mix business and pleasure, but the more she gets to know Grace, the more she realizes she’s not a spoiled princess, and can’t seem to stop their growing friendship. And those feelings of attraction? Not a problem since Grace is totally straight, right?

Why I love it

It’s a romance by Jae, so it’s very well written. The pacing is excellent and the relationship development believable.

8 Taste by Kris Bryant

Published by Bold Strokes Books

This book is a: student/teacher story set in a culinary school

What it’s about

Katherine “Ki” Blake is heading into her last semester at the Kirkwood Culinary Academy, and she’s neck and neck with another student for a scholarship to spend 10 months sharpening her skills in Italy. Despite her eye being firmly on the prize, she doesn’t expect to be blown away when her beautiful new teacher, Taryn, walks into the room.

Taryn Ellis is living in the United States with her daughter, having moved from South Africa a few years prior. She doesn’t know if Baltimore is where they will ultimately settle, but she definitely doesn’t want to risk her job and have to go back to restaurant life for a fling with a student, no matter how attractive Ki may be. Ki and Taryn keep running into each other, and even Taryn’s daughter Olivia loves Ki. Can they resist the pull?

Why I love it

It brings together a lot of things I love: food, an age gap romance, and a teacher/student relationship, all wrapped up in a gentle, easy-to-read story.

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9 By Design by J.A. Armstrong

Published by J.A. Armstrong Books

This book is an: episodic story about a politician and architect in love

What it’s about

Candace spends most of her time in Washington, DC, but home is her grandparents’ former house in New York state, which she wants to restore to its former grandeur. When she asks for a consultation from friend of a friend and renowned architect J.D. Reid, she doesn’t expect Jameson to be an attractive, impossibly charming woman 20 years her junior.

Flirting over email, phone, and many a dinner of Chinese food, Candace can’t help falling for the younger woman, despite being positive it could never work with such a large age gap between them. Jameson is no less smitten, having found her match in one of the few people in politics who still appears to have integrity on top of a quick wit and beauty.

Why I love it

The character interaction is a delight, and Armstrong writes high quality flirting. The payoff of recurring jokes (bible study!) is satisfying because it makes the reader feel like part of the fabric of the family.

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10 Her Most Secret Affair by Jesalin Creswell

Published by LoveLight Press

This book is a: historical romance

What it’s about

Miranda Dashwood was born wealthy, but now she struggles to survive: her deceased father’s gambling debts have crippled the household. With no skills and no experience, Miranda resigns herself to the world’s oldest profession and loathes every moment of her new life… Until she meets Valerie.

Valerie Wilde is the Madam of The Crimson Manor, an exclusive and successful brothel. When one of her most popular girls leaves, Valerie has to find another, fast. Her clients are demanding and discerning, and Valerie’s task is no easy one: most harlots are too unrefined, too vulgar… Until she meets Miranda.

Confused by their desire for one another, the women are drawn together by their forbidden feelings. And all the while, Valerie is terrified that Miranda will leave her for the life of a kept mistress. But Miranda has her own ideas on what the future holds, and will do whatever it takes to make her vision reality.

Why Sheena loves it

Her writing is easy to follow, it has a rhythm and her use of language is excellent. She knows just how to conjure a vivid story. It is quite beautifully written and gets the moodiness just right.

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Don’t leave yet!

You can’t possibly click away to some other shiny thing online when there’s a bonus book!

Bonus Book: Heartwood by Catherine Lane

Published by Ylva Publishing

This book is: two stories threaded together—one in the present and one in the 1960s

What it’s about

Nikka has worked long and hard hours at the law firm for three years and has finally been moved up to the 10th floor as a mid-level associate in intellectual property law. When one of the firm’s partners gives her a chance to work on behalf of famous reclusive author Beth Walker, she leaps all over it. The first order of business is delivering cease-and-desist letters all over Steelhead Springs to businesses that thrive because of the Walker brand, and a restraining order against the author’s former cook, the bubbly and impulsive Maggie.

Maggie knows something isn’t right when she’s fired on the spot for asking about Beth Walker’s health. The more she digs, the more fishy things seem, until an announcement comes out that an undiscovered Beth Walker story is being released, along with letters she wrote decades prior that confirm rumours about her relationship with a famous film star. If Maggie can only get Nikka to listen to her, maybe they can save Beth and her private feelings from the past.

Why I love it

I was enthralled by Beth and Dawn’s story, equally invested in Beth’s predicament in the present, and was delighted by watching Nikka and Maggie dance around their attraction to each other.